notes from my food diary

I’ve been watching Sara Moulton’s show "Weeknight Meals" on PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) for a while.  When she was in Food Network, I’ve never watched her since her show time was in the morning and I didn’t remember to tape any of it.  Here, now that she moved to PBS, I could catch her show because it’s aired on nightime here.  I don’t always like her performance in the show, sometimes she seems to be hurried to finish the dish, and other times I just don’t like the food she prepared   But recently I watched an epidsode where she made a quick asparagus lasagna. 

Instead of the regular lasagna noodles, she used wonton skins.  I’ve either watched or read about using wonton skins for making lasagna but have never tried it.  The steps are pretty easy and quick, no question that the name fits the description.  Since asparagus is not in season anymore, I substituted with frozen spinach that’s been defrosted and drained well.  Sara Moulton suggested using broccoli too if people like broccoli better.  Her method included roasting onions, garlic and asparagus with a little bit olive oil, salt and pepper in the beginning.  You could imagine the smoky flavor in the lasagna already.  A little different is not a bad practice.  The only disadvantage of using frozen spinach is that I couldn’t roast it in my broiler and I was too lazy to sauté it, so I left it as it was.  But I still roasted the onions and garlic that way I could get a bit smokiness in the lasagna.  The other thing that bothered me a bit was that my wonton skin was of thin variety.  I purposedly bought the thin variety because when I make fried wonton I’ve always like biting the thin skin of wonton.  As a result the middle layer of the lasagna seemed a bit lost in the spinach-cheese mix.  And I used two kinds of cheese available in my fridge which were Italian Fontina and Provolone.  All is not lost because the lasagna still turned out great and tasted delicious.  They’re like round cheesy mounds easily divided for individual portion.

It’s not bad for a weeknight meal in my household!

Quick Asparagus Lasagna

Makes 4 to 6 servings
 

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly milled black pepper
1 pound asparagus, trimmed—I used frozen spinach, thawed and drained well 
1 medium onion, halved and sliced (about 1 cup)
2 garlic cloves, sliced (about 2 teaspoons)
One 15-ounce container ricotta cheese
2 teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour
18 refrigerated wonton skins
8 ounces Italian Fontina cheese, coarsely grated (about 2 cups)—I used half Italian Fontina and half Provolone 

Preheat the broiler to high. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet and a lasagna pan (9-by 13-inches roughly). Combine the oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a shallow bowl. Peel the lower stalks of the asparagus if they are thicker than 1/3 inch. Toss the asparagus in the oil mixture and arrange at one end of the oiled baking sheet. Toss the onion and garlic in any remaining oil in the same bowl and arrange them on the other end of the baking sheet. Broil until the edges just begin to brown, about 5 minutes.  If using spinach, you could sauté it on the pan with a little bit of olive oil.

Reduce the oven to 375°F. Combine the onion and garlic with the ricotta, flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a blender; puree until smooth. Cut the asparagus into 1-inch pieces. Arrange 6 wonton skins in the bottom of the pan. Top with half the asparagus, one-third of the ricotta mixture, and one-third of the Fontina. Add another 6 wonton skins, the remaining asparagus, and another third of the ricotta mixture and Fontina. Top with the remaining wonton skins, ricotta mixture, and Fontina.

Bake the lasagna in the top third of the oven, 30 to 35 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned.

Note: On the show I added the onions and garlic to the asparagus; if you prefer to do that rather than purée them with the ricotta, that is fine.

Source:  adapted from Sara Moulton Weeknight Meals episode #101

Last Monday, my son started sneezing.  He had a birthday party the day before and it was held in a swimming pool.  The water was pretty cold considering these were kids who were mostly in the pool.  Afterwards, the party continued on in a party room where it was blasting cold air.  No wonder he got sick! 

With the changing weather just recently, I finally made some menu adjustment in my daily cooking.  I’m preparing to cook a lot more soups and anything hearty and warm.  We all love noodle soup and one of the new recipes that I tried this week was the soy sauce chicken noodle soup.  The idea that I got was after I read Grace Young’s cookbook:  The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen: Classic Family Recipes for Celebration and Healing.  I’ve made soy sauce chicken before in the crockpot and even though it’s called red sauce chicken by a different cookbook, it’s basically the same method of cooking the chicken.  Grace Young has a soy sauce chicken in her book using a regular cooking method and she includes rock sugar, light brown sugar, Sichuan peppercorns and Chinese licorice (gum cho) in the soup.  It’s slightly different approach than the one that I used here.  I liked the previous recipe for soy sauce chicken and I’m sure Grace Young’s recipe is equally good.  But since I only had time to make it in the crockpot, I used that crockpot recipe again this time.  In her book, this soup is called Clear Soup Noodles and she suggested pairing the soup with the soy sauce chicken.

Because I had egg noodle, Napa cabbage, and yu choy (edible rape/green choy sum) vegetables already, I included this variation to the basic noodle soup.  The basic recipe uses rice stick vermicelli (mai fun) with bok choy.  What I like to add to the soup is the sauce from the soy sauce chicken.  It’s a very comforting soup and good for the body.  Almost like what Westerners would get the benefit from eating chicken noodle soup Western style.   

Here I share the original recipe:

Clear Soup Noodles

Makes 4 as a typical lunch meal

8 ounces bok choy

8 ounces Soy Sauce Chicken, homemade or store-bought

2 teaspoon sesame oil

8 teaspoons thin soy sauce

1 quart homemade chicken broth

8 ounces rice vermicelli (mai fun)

Cilantro sprigs

Separate the bok choy into stalks.  Wash bok choy in several changes of cold water and allow to thoroughly drain in a colander.  Trim 1/4 inch from the bottom of each stalk and cut into 2-inch-long pieces.

With a meat cleaver, chop the chicken through the bone into bite-sized pieces.  Pour 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil and 2 teaspoon soy sauce into each 4 large soup bowls.

In a 2-quart saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a boil over high heat.  Add the bok choy and noodles and return to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until the noodles are tender and the bok choy is bright green and tender.

Divide the noodles and bok choy among the soup bowls and toss with the soy sauce and sesame oil.  Top with the broth, chicken and cilantro.  Serve immediately.

Source:  The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen: Classic Family Recipes for Celebration and Healing by Grace Young

Am I happy to be home?  You bet!  Even though I had lots of fun in Southern California, just like the old adage, there’s no place like home.  As we drove back home we’re encountered smoggy driving condition which I thought due to the fires in California.  Once we’re past the state line entering Oregon, the sky turned blue, the greens were more pronounced, the air seemed fresher.  Oregon has truly became a home to me, a place where I long to be back after a few weeks of vacation.

The first meal I made after coming back home were grilled chicken with miso glaze, macaroni pesto salad and green salad.  I wasn’t too in the mood to make a complicated meal.  Driving for two days took a toll to my body, and it just wanted to sleep.  What’s more, my garden needed tender care after a few weeks of break, I couldn’t bear to see them neglected for too long.  Being home means I have to switch my mind from vacation mode to a housewife mode.  Tons of things to do!

Upon inspection in the garden, I could see tomatoes coming out from the two plants, some signs of peppers trying to grow under limited sunlight in my garden box, and a profusion of basil sprouting from two little plants. I found more than a few rotten strawberries in the garden box, but still more to become red.  My lonely blueberry plant survived and gave us a bowl of juicy and sweet blueberries.

Seeing all those basil was  where I got my idea of making a pesto pasta salad.  I desperately needed something very easy to make for dinner.  The chicken recipe was another simple idea, it’s very similar to a dish that I’ve tried before, but this time the chicken was grilled in the barbecue.  Throw in some green salad and I was done making dinner. 

Though it may seem weird to pair macaroni pesto salad with grilled chicken, somehow the flavors work together in my mouth  

Toriniku no Misoyaki (Chicken Grilled with Miso Glaze)

Serves 2 or 3

Marinade:

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon mirin

1 tablespoon sake

1/2 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger

Salt to taste

Miso Glaze:

1 tablespoon mirin

1 tablespoon sake

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup miso, preferably white

3 tablespoons water

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, each cut in half and visible fat removed

To make the marinade:  in a shallow bowl large enough to accommodate the chicken thighs in a single layer, stir together the soy sauce, sugar, mirin, sake and ginger.  Add salt to taste.  Add the chicken, turn to coat evenly, and let stand at room temperature for at least 15 minutes or for up to 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Prepare a medium fire in a charcoal grill, or preheat a gas grill to medium.

To make a the miso glaze:  in a small bowl, stir together the mirin, sake, sugar, miso and water, mixing well.  Set the bowl near the grill.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade.  Place the chicken directly over the heat and grill 5 minutes.  Turn the chicken over, brush the top with some of the glaze, and grill for 5 minutes.  Turn the chicken again and brush the second side with some of the glaze.  Continue to grill, turning and brushing with the glaze every 5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes total.

Remove the chicken from the grill and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Source:  adapted from Let’s Cook Japanese Food! by Amy Kaneko

I’m submitting this pasta salad recipe for the Presto Pasta Night #75, this week event is hosted by Michelle over at the Greedy Gourmet. 

Macaroni Pesto Salad

5 servings

4 ounces (1 cup) elbow macaroni, cooked al dente, rinse, and drained

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoons vegetable oil

Whisk together the red wine vinegar with vegetable oil in a medium bowl.  Add the cooked macaroni, cover and let chill for 2 to 3 hours.

Pesto sauce:

2 cups loosely packed basil leaves

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1/2 cup pine nuts

2 medium garlic cloves, peeled

1/2 cup olive oil, or as needed

Salt and black pepper

Combine basil leaves, grated Parmesan, pine nuts and garlic cloves in a food processor and process to a rough paste.  While the machine is running, slowly drizzle the olive oil.  If the paste seems a bit dry add a little more olive oil.  Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Combine the pesto sauce with macaroni and stir well.  Taste again with salt and pepper.

Source:  adapted from the Joy of Cooking

I have a friend who dislikes pasta salad.  She said that pasta isn’t meant to be eaten cold.  Whenever we had pasta salad in our menu she wouldn’t touch it especially when there’s mayonnaise in the salad.  I, on the other hand, love pasta salad.  I didn’t grow up eating mayo-based pasta salad and I joined the crowd once I started making it.  In my opinion, pasta salad is a complete meal in which you can have your protein, carbohydrate and vegetables in one bowl.  One of the pasta salads that I love to make is bacon, lettuce, tomato pasta salad or BLT pasta salad.  Here you have your bacon as your protein, pasta as your carbohydrate and lettuce and tomato as you vegetables.  I don’t see anything wrong using mayonnaise in pasta salad as long as there’s a moderation in the amount that you’re using.  Again, as with the Egg Salad Sandwiches that I just posted, the recipe was taken from The Big Book of Backyard Cooking by Betty Rosbottom.  Her BLT pasta salad is simple and very light in mayonnaise, adding Parmesan cheese to give it a bite to the dressing.  Now that summer is in full steam ahead, this dish would make you happy at lunch time!

I am sending this to the Presto Pasta Night #71 over at Gay’s.

BLT Pasta Salad

Serves 8

Salt

1 pound farfalle (bow-tie) pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 ounces bacon slices, cut into 1-inch pieces

4 cups grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise

1 1/2 cups (3 to 4 ounces) stemmed, coarsely chopped arugula

1 cup chopped red onion

Dressing

1/2 cup regular or reduced-fat mayonnaise

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Coarsely ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add pasta.  Cook according to package instructions, until al dente, then drain and transfer to a large, shallow nonreactive serving bowl.  Toss pasta with olive oil and set aside.

In a large, heavy skillet set over medium heat, fry the bacon until crisp and golden, then drain on paper towels.  Add the bacon, tomatoes, arugula, and onion to bowl with pasta and mix well.

To make the dressing:  In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, half of the Parmesan cheese, vinegar, and 1 teaspoon pepper.  Add to bowl with pasta and toss well to coat pasta with dressing.  Add the remaining Parmesan cheese, and toss well to mix.  Taste and season salad with more salt and pepper if needed.  (Salad can be prepared 1 hour ahead.  Cover with plastic wrap and leave at cool room temperature.)

Source:  from The Big Book of Backyard Cooking by Betty Rosbottom

Are you tired of making spaghetti with marinara sauce?  I feel the same from time to time.  My son loves spaghetti so I find a way to make it in a different way.  Try this recipe.  Not only it’s easy for a weekday meal, it’s pretty wholesome too.  Round it up with green salad and maybe garlic bread, you’ll have the same feeling as if you’re eating spaghetti marinara, only baked.  The recipe came from a book that I have for a long time, it’s Vegetarian Pasta by Rose Elliot.  She has recipes which are straightforward but with great flavors.  The original recipe suggested using Cheddar or Gruyére cheese which I chose Gruyére, and I didn’t use a whole cup of cheese in my pasta dish.  It was more like 1/3 of cup but it still tasted very tasty.  It also suggested using fresh oregano in the dish, but since I had this canned diced tomatoes with oregano and basil that’s what I used.  My oregano leaves served as decoration at the end.

I’m sending this for the Presto Pasta Night which is a brainchild of lovely Ruth, hosted by Kevin at Closet Cooking this week.  Hope I’m not too late!

Spaghetti, Mushroom and Tomato Bake

Serves 4

6 ounces spaghetti

Salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, peeled and chopped

8 ounces mushrooms, washed and chopped

1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed

14 ounces canned diced tomatoes with basil and oregano

1 egg, beaten

1 cup Gruyére cheese, grated

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Fill a large saucepan with 4 quarts of water and bring to a boil over high heat for the pasta.

Set the oven to 400° F.  Grease a casserole dish or roasting pan about 8×12 inches and at least 2 1/2 inches deep.

When the water in the saucepan boils, add the spaghetti, holding it straight up like a bunch of flowers and gently pushing it into the water as it softens.  Add a tablespoon of salt and give the pasta a quick stir.  Briefly put the lid on until it starts to lift, showing that the water has come back to a boil, then let the pasta bubble away, uncovered, for about 8 minutes, or unitl it is tender but still  has some bite to it.  Drain the spaghetti.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium-sized saucepan and put in the onion; cover and sauté for 5 minutes.  Then add the mushrooms, garlic and tomatoes and cook, uncovered, for further 10 minutes, until the onions and mushrooms are tender.

Add the egg to the vegetable mixture and stir well over the heat for a minute or two until the egg has cooked.  Remove from the heat and add the spaghetti, along with the Gruyére cheese.  Season with oregano and salt and pepper.

Spoon the spaghettti mixture into the ovenproof dish, scatter with the bread crumbs and Parmesan and bake for about 30 minutes, until golden brown and crisp on top.

Source:  adapted from Vegetarian Pasta by Rose Elliot